Post navigation

Injunction hotline and Know Your Rights Guide unveiled!

Call this number to report any police abuse or harassment, especially if they accuse you of gang membership or mention the “gang” injunction. Cops hassling young people and other community members for no reason is one way the whole community is affected by the injunction.

What is a Gang Injunction? A gang injunction is a court order issued by a judge in civil court placing restrictions on activities in a specific geographic area. Oakland City Attorney John Russo requested the North Oakland injunction issued by Judge Robert Freedman on June 2, 2010.

What Does it Do? It severely restricts the rights of people named in the order when they are in the injunction zone. By arguing that certain groups of people are a “public nuisance,” the City Attorney has managed to apply special rules to them that make ordinarily legal activities criminal. For example, people named in the injunction cannot associate with others and are subject to curfew in their own neighborhood.

Who Does it Affect? The “Northside Oakland” gang and 15 young men are named on the order, but, the injunction affects our entire community by trying divide us and prioritize incarceration. IMPORTANT: You are NOT restricted by the injunction unless you are 1) served in person or by mail with legal documents regarding the injunction AND 2) proven in civil court to be a member of the “Northside Oakland gang.”

How Do Cops Label “Gang Members?”
• Statements claiming membership, including in letters to people in jail or prison
• Statements by other people already labeled as “gang members.”
• Wearing “gang” clothing or colors
• Being seen with other people labeled as gang members
• Being in a photo with people labeled as gang members, including on Facebook and Myspace
• Being arrested by police for activities labeled as “gang-related.”
• Showing gang signs or displaying gang graffiti on personal belongings
• Being involved in crimes with people labeled as “gang members.”
IMPORTANT: Cops will use photos from Facebook, YouTube, MySpace and other websites to label people as gang members.

If Cops Are Hassling You:
Get the badge number, name, and police department of the cop. You have the right to ask the cop to identify himself or herself. Write down the time, date, and what happened. Call in your report to the Injunction Hotline at (510) 213-8135.

If You See Cops Hassling Others:
Take a video or photographs with your cellphone or camera. Upload files as attachments to an email and send to injunctionhotline@gmail.com.

If the cops try to stop you, say that you are simply documenting what is happening. Report the police abuse to the Injunction Hotline at (510) 213-8135 and file an Internal Affairs report with the Oakland Police Department at (510) 238-3161.

If You Are Under 18:
No one under 18 is named in the North Oakland gang injunction, so any arrest of a minor for an injunction violation is unlawful. If cops want to question you, remain silent and demand that your parents and a lawyer should be present. Do not answer police questions other than to provide your name unless you have a lawyer present.